Rentschler Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram co-owner Frederick Rentschler has been nominated for Time magazine's Dealer of the Year Award.

The head of the Slatington auto sale and repair dealership will be in a group of only 50 dealers nominated out of the 16,000 from across the country for the 47th annual award to be presented at the 99th annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention will be held in Las Vegas in April."I'm the representative for Pennsylvania, so it's really great. To be the one selected is just terrific," Rentschler said.According to president of Auto Finance of Ally Financial, Tim Russi, the Dealer of the Year award nominees are business leaders, as well as dedicated members to the community who donate and support charitable causes in their hometown area.Rentschler earned a bachelor of science degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1972.A year later, his father established the Plymouth dealership in Slatington. Even though the senior Rentschler discouraged his son from getting involved in the challenging automotive business Rentschler saved up $1,000 from his paperboy job to contribute to his father's dealership dream. Shortly after that, Rentschler began helping his father in the dealership for free on weekends until he officially joined the team at the end of 1973."I was a car nut at a very young age," he said.Rentschler worked every job at the dealership just shy of mechanic repair. At present day he owns the store with his own son and is part owner of the Chevrolet branch with his brother.Rentschler served as chairman of the education committee for the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers from 2008 until 2014. He founded the Donley Award for Excellence in cooperation with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce which honors 30 high school and vocation school students in the Lehigh Valley by providing scholarships."Being recognized for contributions to advancing education in the retail automobile business has been an important highlight of my career," he said.Currently, he still serves on the Lehigh Chamber board, Pennsylvania Automotive Association and Lehigh Valley Automobile Dealers Association."The most significant job a good dealer has today is to search for outstanding young men and women to join their team," he said.A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year."If we win we'd be extremely proud," Rentschler said. "Proud of our employees and staff. How we believe in doing business is all about our employees and our customers."Ally Financial is the exclusive partner for the fifth year in a row sponsoring Time's prestigious award. Ally will recognize the nominated dealerships by contributing $1,000 to each nominee's choice of a 501(c)3 charity.Recipients of Time's automobile industry honor are among the nation's most successful dealerships that have long-standing relationships with their communities."In a small community like this, to be able to work with my brothers and sons. I'm extremely lucky."The winner of the Time Dealer of the Year award will be announced April 1, 2016.